New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Jharkhand to declare the Saranda/Sasangdaburu forests as a wildlife sanctuary and conservation reserve within three months, while making it clear that such a declaration would not affect the rights of tribals and forest dwellers residing in the region.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran expressed displeasure over the state's repeated changes in stance regarding the extent of the area proposed for notification, calling it inconsistent and evasive.
"We find that the state has been changing its stand time and again," the Court observed, noting that Jharkhand initially proposed to declare 31,468 hectares, then expanded it to 57,519 hec...